Stop Marketing to EVERYONE and Start Finding Your Ideal Clients

I’ve been a gym owner for more than a decade. Ignoring the fact that that makes me feel old, it’s given me the chance to connect with hundreds of people over the years. And I’ve learned that when it comes to setting goals, nearly everyone falls into one of three categories:

The real MVPs, the wannabees, and the “I guess, maybes.”

Before we get into the specifics of each group, let’s back up a second. Have you ever wished you could “hire” only the right clients? Imagine if you could interview and vet each person, and then decide if you’re willing to let them sign up at your gym.

Spoiler alert: You can. I once met a gym owner who wouldn’t let anyone sign up in January because he refused to allow the “new year’s resolution” folks in. Sounds crazy, right? But try framing it this way: If your business is successful enough, you don’t need (or want) every client. You want the ideal ones.

This isn’t about your gym marketing strategy. This is about listening, connecting, and helping, so that you can fill your business with all the right people.

The 3 Types of Goal-Setters

Knowing the difference between the three types of goal-setters will help you immediately recognize the opportunity to add a great new client, and when you might be wasting your time, or even negatively impacting your community.

1. The Real MVPs

An MVP schedules an intro session and actually shows up. Once they become a member, they check in consistently, pay on time, and cheer on other members. To put it simply, MVPs set goals and then do what they say they’re going to do. 

Absolute unicorns, these fine folks.

Your life as a gym owner becomes exponentially easier when you build a thriving gym community of MVPs.

2. The Wannabees

The second group are the wannabees. A wannabee sets a goal and gives it a mediocre shot before giving up. They usually end up going back to the way it’s always been: feeling out of shape and believing they’re “just not one of those workout people.”

As a business coach once told me, “How we do one thing is how we do everything.”

And for this group, that tracks. Wannabees generally take the path of least resistance in most situations, which isn’t exclusive to just the gym. And let’s be honest: The couch is definitely more comfortable than working out. As gym owners, we’re not oblivious to the fact that people have to put in the work to see results. No one is going to find “the magic pill” at our gym. And surprise: it’s not at the next gym either.

Whether their goals are related to fitness, career, parenting, earning a degree, writing a book, or otherwise, they have to put in the work. In theory, the wannabees are all in. In practice? That’s another story.

3. The “I Guess, Maybes”

I’ll preface this section by being honest that I have banged my head on my desk more than I care to admit because of this third group.

The “I guess, maybes” (IGMs) are the talkers. They say they have big goals. And the truth is, they’re actually more than capable of achieving (or even exceeding) them. But as it turns out, they’re much more proficient at talking the talk, rather than walking the walk.

You’ve heard the song lyrics, “A little less conversation, a little more action”? That’s group three.

Best represented by the shrugging emoji, they say things like, “I guess I’m going to try to…” and, “Starting next week, I might…”

One interesting caveat with these people is that they usually aren’t the ones that are waiting to get all their ducks in a row. Oftentimes, those people are actually in the MVP category, once they get going. The moment they realize their ducks will never actually get in a row, they get started anyway (straight up MVP behavior).

But not the IGMs. This group will overemphasize the reasons their goals are important and exactly how they plan to accomplish them. They’ll create lists and schedules and journals and whatever else they can drum up. All in an effort to (either consciously or subconsciously) delay actually starting the work.

When asked why they haven’t started yet, the talk continues. From reasons why it wasn’t the right time to start that particular goal to something along the lines of, “Actually, here’s why that goal wasn’t the best for me in the first place…”

After all, coming up with a revised goal and starting the planning process all over again is easier than actually putting in the work, right? But unfortunately, the results that come from talking about lifting a weight are significantly different from the ones that come from lifting a weight.

4 Steps to Filling Your Gym With Ideal Clients

As frustrating as it can be to sit in a consultation with a wannabee or an IGM, remember that they walked through your doors because they want your help. You’re not only the expert in fitness or nutrition guidance; as gym owners, we don’t just clean bathrooms and DJ some baller playlists. We walk the line from mental health support to cheerleader, so consider this your opportunity to help them turn the tides.

Here are four ways to do that:

1. Give them some tough love.

Sometimes, the people making excuses or plans simply don’t have anyone in their life to challenge the “talk tracks” they’ve been telling themselves for years. It’s not that they won’t believe it, but they just need someone to remind them:

• It’s not a time or scheduling issue. Your schedule will allow for working out.
• It’s not an ability issue. You are perfectly capable.
• You didn’t set the wrong goal. In fact, your goal is fantastic.
• You didn’t pick the wrong time to start. Your timeline is right now.
• There’s no need to revise your goal. The original was solid.
• It’s you. You’re the problem. You just have to do the damn thing. 3, 2, 1… GO.

Editor’s note: Don’t actually use the words, “You’re the problem.” That won’t go well. I’m trying to improve your gym sales process here, not accidentally help you develop a collection of negative Google Reviews.

2. Set your expectations for them.

Now, let’s not pretend it’s easy to tell someone that they’re the problem, no matter how much you’ve sugar-coated it. And just in case you’re looking for options, the sugar-coated version could sound something like, “You might just be standing in your own way. Once you truly start to believe in yourself, you’ll find out that you’re capable of some pretty incredible things.”

Still, that’s not an easy thing to say. So consider setting some simple expectations for them. This isn’t meant to be a list of “three strikes and you’re out” kind of rules. Instead, it’s a simple blueprint, showing them: a) what you expect from them, and b) what results they can expect when they do the thing.

Here are a few examples:

• Follow the onboarding plan to help you get started the right way
• Show up (on time) to class at least three times per week
• Track your progress in the app by logging workout scores, PRs, and/or benchmarks
• Attend an upcoming gym social event to connect with the community
• Always reach out when you need help (no question is a dumb one!)

3. Make them feel seen and celebrated.

The reason wannabees and IGMs get under my skin so much is that I’m an eternal optimist. I truly believe that anyone can accomplish the goals they set for themselves. Sure, sometimes I want to say things like, “We all have the same 24 hours in a day” or “Your excuses aren’t special, we all have obstacles.” But I’ve found that simply showing you care is a game-changer for accountability and motivation.

When I do intro sessions at my gym and listen to a prospective member’s list of goals, I start by giving them the benefit of the doubt.

I believe that you can.

I will help you every step of the way until we celebrate your win.

Your coaches and community are all cheering for you.

Because ultimately, even though a lot of people fall into the wannabees or IGMs category, there are also plenty of people who just don’t believe in themselves yet. They truly just don’t know what they’re capable of. And you could possibly be the catalyst for them to live a much happier, healthier life.

4. Help them change the cycle.

Remember, how we do one thing is how we do everything. Further, taking action on one small thing can actually change the trajectory of your whole life. Because that one thing is proof that you can indeed do hard things. And then you can start applying that to other areas of your life.

As it applies to a new member, it’s your job to show them how to start that positive cycle. Help them take action today to stop talking about it and start doing it. 

This could be as simple as helping them reserve their first class and then following up with them to make sure they show up. (Hint: One of my favorite tools for lead and member follow-up is Wodify Workflows, because why not let the power of automation take the work off your plate?)

Once their first class is complete, celebrate like crazy. Is it one class? Yes. But earning Committed Club status or Weekly Streaks can’t start without one class. And so the cycle begins.

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At Wodify, we love helping fitness business owners find ways to save time, improve operations, and grow for the long term. Book a demo with our team today to find out more!